Annie cleared her throat. Did her boss really think she could work with everything that was going on? “I need to talk to Leilani’s friends and try to find Tomi.”
“Tomi knows how to contact you. It will be better if you keep your mind on your work, and let the police handle Leilani. There’s nothing you can do about it. I’ve found that during times of stress it’s best to try to maintain normal habits.”
“I don’t think I can do that,” Annie said softly. “I’d like to take the rest of the week off.”
“Fawn’s absence leaves us shorthanded. I really need you today.”
“I’m not even dressed,” Annie said desperately.
“I’ll go on ahead. You can come after you get ready. But don’t be too late. You and Jillian need to figure out what’s wrong with that computer model and get it right.” Her tone softened. “This is for your own good, Annie. Believe me, I know it’s best to keep busy.”
Annie knew Gina was probably right, but she wanted to do something. Every day that ticked by without knowing what had happened to Leilani deepened her dread. Wilson curled at her feet, and Annie picked him up.
“I’d like you to go on another underwater excursion with the dolphin when you’re done with the computer model,” Gina said. She stepped into her slippers and went toward the door.
“I don’t have a partner,” Annie pointed out. “Jillian still has the head cold, and Fawn is gone.”
Gina brightened. “I could go with you, I suppose.” She sounded eager.
Her boss took too many chances. Gina thought she was invincible in the water, and Annie would rather dive with anyone other than her. “I have some vacation coming,” she reminded Gina. “Can I take off the afternoon at least? By tomorrow maybe Jillian will be ready to dive.” She was sure Tomi would try to contact her. He needed her to go to the bank with him and try to get his money.
Gina pursed her lips. “I’m not questioning your right to be off, but I need you. It’s best for you to come in.” Gina patted her on the shoulder. “Save your vacation for when you can enjoy it. And try not to worry. Your sister will turn up. I’m positive she’s okay.”
Annie’s airways tightened. “How about if I see what I can find out from Leilani’s friends this morning? I’ll come in and do the dive this afternoon and fix the computer model. Will that be okay?”
Gina sighed. “I suppose. But you need to work the rest of the week. I know it will be hard to concentrate. Sitting in the house and worrying won’t accomplish anything.”
She obviously wasn’t going to budge on this. Annie nodded. “Okay. I’ll be in later today.”
Her boss walked toward the door. “Call me if you hear anything.”
“I will.” Annie rubbed Wilson’s head as she listened to Gina’s car start up and drive away. She glanced at her watch. Nearly ten. She dialed Mano’s number and got dumped into voice mail. She left a message asking him to come see her as soon as he was done. If he didn’t get back soon, she’d go see CeCe alone. She couldn’t just sit here and do nothing.
Jason entered the room and dropped onto the sofa. He propped his bare feet on the coffee table in front of her. She shrank back into her seat. Though she’d often wished to see admiration for her in a man’s eyes, the interest in his gaze wasn’t quite what she had in mind.
“I saw a couple of guys hanging around your house,” Jason said.
He was just now mentioning this? Though to be fair, he’d come in last night after they went to bed and likely hadn’t heard about the men who came to see her father. But he could have mentioned it over breakfast. “Really? When?”
“Night before last.”
“Any idea what they looked like?”
He shrugged. “Arabic was all I could tell. Maybe in their forties.”
She wondered if he was telling her what he thought she wanted to hear. “What were you doing in the neighborhood?”
He shrugged. “Just driving around.”
Though they’d only gone out twice, he’d been smitten with her sister from the first. Could he have been stalking Leilani? “When did you last see Leilani?” she asked abruptly.
His eyes widened. He put his feet on the floor. “So now I’m under suspicion for her disappearance? Figures. For your information, I haven’t seen your precious sister in nearly two weeks.”
“Where was this?”
He got to his feet with a sullen twist to his mouth. “I have to go to work.”
She watched him go and wondered why he was so defensive.